Code Geass: Revenge of Euphemia
by miss. caisse
Summary: She wouldn't die. She wouldn't fail. His memory would keep her alive, even if she knew it could only be a memory.  Travel the Code Geass storyline with an interesting twist: is it really Euphie who died?
1. support

"Suzaku."

The voice – familiar and friendly - bounced against the spacious room as an echo; in the confines of the Lancelot, it reached him like twinkling wind chimes. A light breeze was passing, and, of course, could only be Euphemia, as no other song sounded as precious or gentle. He smiled and wondered if his grin was big and noticeable enough to make a noise.

Work would just have to wait; after all, royalty has arrived, he decided. Making himself visible with eager steps, the young knight began to descend the docking stairway and cleared his throat as he grew closer, "Princess Euphemia-"

"_Suzaku._" The tone had changed quickly, accompanied by an angry pout that was difficult to take seriously. "Don't you remember?"

"A-ah," He bit back a small laugh, "Right, right… Euphie."

Now she relaxed into a smile. "Better…" But a thought quickly crossed her and the smile faltered as she continued, "… That's… well, that's why I'm here."

"So I remember to call you Euphie?"

"…Sort of."

He blinked, "Sort of?" Though she was acting rather vague, he wouldn't be surprised if the answer was fairly obvious; he was bright, but women always confused him. Lloyd liked to point this out often, and silently, Suzaku was thankful he wasn't here to see another possible slip-up.

Rather than a response, Euphemia began to walk with careful steps around the Lancelot, head tilted as bright eyes absorbed every small scrape and battle scar on an otherwise clean, white finish. A silence settled between them, save for only her heels against the floor; even then they barely seemed to fill the space. When she stopped in front of his machine, he almost thought he heard her breathing, soft, barely a pinprick into a comforting quiet.

Was that his heart or hers? Her simple inquisitive glance was enough to make him anxious – nervous for her approval, wanting to make her the happiest she could be – and finally, he spoke with a slight tremor, "Euphie, what can I do?"

She turned, and his breath hitched. Now, it was only her heart, as his begun to slow in the moments that she left him in agony, waiting for her answer.

Alas, she smiled. "… Suzaku, it is nothing like that."

His stomach dropped in relief and he let out that previously held laugh. He began to approach her, now, the comfort of her presence returning now that a monumentous problem was out of the question. "O-Oh, well, um-"

"But, you can help me." As he was now beside her, she was able to reach his arm; she touched it soft and tentatively as if she would let go any second. It always felt this way, he realized… but she never did let go.

Watching her as she did this, Suzaku swallowed, "Anything, Euphie. Whatever you need."

Her smile came easily once again as she let her fingertips slide away from him. In response, he barely shivered, forcing himself to repress such motions with the very fear of looking inappropriate and unprofessional. He did, after all, work for her, in a way; with this reminder, he straightened his tie as he waited for her to speak again.

"… I'm renouncing my title." Euphemia said then, the proclamation fluttering towards the high ceilings.

"You're-I-you mean…" He trailed off as she looked up at his worried gaze. Her own seemed as it always was – warm, relaxed, but glowing with passion – in return.

"I can't lead in a world like this, Suzaku," She turned to him completely, lacing her fingers together as she spoke, "There is far too much wrong for someone… someone like me to change." As her words grew weaker, she took a sharp breath, biting her lip.

The tears began, and Suzaku moved towards her. His hands found her shoulders, squeezing them gently so she would meet his gaze. "…Euphie… what about the special zone? Your intentions are honest and true… and you shouldn't give them up!"

"I'm not enough," She continued, unphased by his words as her eyes dripped, "In my position… no one will listen to me… and…" Her eyes remained trained on his, "… Maybe it's time to accept Zero."

In disbelief he could only stare, lips trembling as he brought her towards him. The normal boundaries he had set for himself around Euphemia were beginning to crumble… subconsciously, however, he didn't seem to notice, nor were words failing him in such a moment as this. He could just speak, and speak… and just speak to her, as if nothing between them was different. "… Your sensitivity to the people is what makes you an ideal person to lead… you're compassionate… smart… stubborn for what you want…" He seemed to smile down at her, "… And Zero doesn't think the way you do… he is willing to exterminate without harmony, whereas you want eternal peace... and, Euphemia… your goal is the goal of many… it is mine, as well."

Her head had cozily placed itself against his chest, the rise and fall of his breathing allowing her tears to be numbed to small sniffles. His voice, too, began to lull her into quiet ease; it allowed her to think comfortably and carefully about everything he was saying.

"… Our goal wouldn't stop," She said softly, voice barely carrying, "… I could never just quit… but, Suzaku… I have to relinquish what I have for the sake of others."

"Euphemia…"

"For Nunnally."

He blinked, but urged her to elaborate with silence.

She seemed to understand, "… She wants a world that is simple… a world where she can live with her brother happily and without fear." As she spoke, however, Euphemia realized that this may not make the depth of sense to Suzaku as it did to her; he, after all, still didn't know Zero's true identity; Lelouch. Would it be wise to tell him? Though it caused her great pain, it was best to keep this from him. "… She has made me realize what is truly important; significant things such as the bond between siblings and neighbors versus power and greed… with the Britannian name, I can't be a force of salvation; I can't compete with the sovereignty that Zero has over this country."

"… For Nunnally," He repeated, releasing her, now, but not completely letting her go. "… You have my support."

Looking up at him, Euphemia grinned, "You mean you're not mad?"

"Mad?" The knight grinned, laughing lightly, "… You know for a fact that I can't really stay mad at my employer."

"Employer?

"Well, as your knight, I am a part of 'the help,' as it were."

She laughed now, eyes sparkling with new life in their shared laughter. That beautiful shine caught him speechless for just a moment, stillness coming between them as their giggles stopped and expanded throughout the open room. As this occurred, Suzaku felt a connection, a certain, fleeting feeling that told him to move closer, to take her in his arms again, and with all of the confidence that he could muster, just-

"Thank you, Suzaku." She had already seemed to know, embracing him tightly. He let out a small breath, returning the gesture though he wished he had initiated it himself.

"For everything."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, welcome to the first chapter of what I expect to be a very long saga. Let's hope I can stick to it and keep writing?

If you are turned off by the Suzaphie-ness that's very apparent in this chapter... well, let me just tell you that you probably won't like the bulk of this story. While I don't want to give out too much information, the story will often jump back into the theme of this relationship as, whether you people like it or not, it is considered a CANON ship that actually somewhat occurs in the original Code Geass story. Never fear, though! It won't be all about these two cutesy-poos.

As always, reviews would be appreciated! Good things and bad things; I'm all ears. Thanks for reading!


	2. plans

With great force did Lelouch slam his helmet against the floor; a crack appeared in the shielding with a small pop. His cape, trailing behind his quick pace, easily lifted from his shoulders as he threw it off, the added wind causing its cascade to the ground. Finally, still enraged, he ripped the mask over his nose from his face, allowing the garment to join his other clothes in a messy, angry pile.

"So she's uniting Japan and the Empire… isn't that what you wanted?"

The bored drawl, of course, had come from CC, who now stood at the door. Both had come from an emergency meeting of the Black Knights, to which Zero presided over and demanded immediate action concerning Euphemia's rash decision. Though he had witnessed her declaration at the festival, Lelouch allowed Kallen to tell Zero once more, and made sure to add each bottled anger he had kept in the first time he heard to that reaction. Though they had spoken for hours as a unit, he denied most every pathetic plan he was approached with, and dismissed the meeting feeling nothing short of pure fury.

He snarled at her in response before actually speaking, "No, we _need_ our triumph! We need to do this our way, to punish the people who have punished us!"

"You've hit a plateau."

"Shut up!" Lelouch hissed coarsely, "You know _nothing!"_

"I know enough." She casually crossed the room, her gait light enough that she looked as if she were floating. "If you don't like it, just kill her."

Her words echoed in his head and the idea planted itself in an instant; somewhere in the crevices of his mind, Euphemia screamed, the sound of bullets penetrating flesh causing him to cover his mouth and scramble to the bathroom. _Lelouch! _She screamed again as he ran, her screams becoming more than a noise; the image appeared, her body mangled and bloody, and he puked, collapsing onto the tile with exhaustion and pain.

It wasn't that he was weak to death; in fact, in his young life he had already killed many people with no sensitivity. He couldn't, however, bear the idea of someone as close as Euphemia was – family, whether it was his Britannian life or not – murdered by his hand.

"How dramatic." She stood over him, offering a dainty hand.

Refusing her request, he let himself up on his own, wiping his mouth as he rose to his feet.

"So you can't kill her," She rightfully decided, moving around the room again. "Why?"

He followed her steps with a glaring glance. "It is not your concern."

"Sure it is; your strange weakness eliminates a possible solution. Though the king may be close to his pawn, he will still sacrifice their life for victory."

She was using his game against him; Lelouch scoffed. "Nonsense; we are not close."

"Oh?" The girl flopped onto his bed. "Then what keeps you from killing her?"

"… …Nunnally."

Between them came a small silence; following, CC sat up and broke it. "Your sister… what does she see in her?"

He was quiet again. "… Everything."

With an inquisitive glance sideways, she said nothing, allowing him to continue.

"We all grew up together – Euphemia, Nunnally and I. Their relation was only slight… but they were the best of friends. Sisters. Partners in friendship and family… I can't remember anyone else as gentle and kind to her as Euphemia was… until Suzaku."

"The pilot school boy?"

He couldn't help but smirk, "Yes." With a sigh, Lelouch ran a hand through his hair, "…. Maybe that is why they've found each other… they think the same thoughts, enjoy the same amount of peace that any simple-minded, kind-hearted person would. They lack the true reality of this world, CC." At the same time, however, he smirked again, "… And yet, Euphie always knew just how to care for Nunnally… even when they fought over who was to marry me, Euphie always let her win… and Nunnally's well-being is always first."

CC's golden eyes fell into a relaxed lust as she pondered this. "So, you love her." Her voice, calm and level, made the proposal seem as simple as the weather.

More silence. "… I did." As he admitted it to the both of him, the words came easier and flew from his mouth quicker than he could ponder them. "Truly. And I used to imagine our lives together often… I would marry Euphemia, and Nunnally would find similar happiness… and we would live as a family forever."

It was simple.

"But no more." He said after a moment, those deciding words barely carrying; as he realized the depth of them he felt himself quiver and turned to the window. "… …. …You said it yourself – the king must sacrifice his pawns at all costs."

CC said nothing, only watching his back.

"Euphemia is simply a part of my plan – the perfect naïve little princess to add fuel to the flames of Britannia's downfall."

"Lelouch-"

"Nunnally will forget her!" He said sharply, beginning to leave the room. He, too, would forget… and hoped that if he told himself that enough, it would become the only truth.

Her gaze followed him as he moved until he was out of site; she then looked to the window where he had once laid his eyes. The distant glow of the city caught her attention; the Empire was active, powerful, and certainly everything he wanted to defeat. With the Geass it would only get easier to conquer, she knew… but at what cost to his sanity would the kingdom fall?

"… The world will forget Euphemia Li Britannia." She could only agree.

She always just agreed.

* * *

Destiny had put Kallen in Zero's hands; she was absolutely sure of it.

To serve him was the same, if not better, than serving her own brother; they had similar dreams, goals, and held the same integrity for the oppressed as she did. Every part of her wanted to make him happy and proud, and that determination seemed to fuel her double life.

Japan – a dress nation The dream would be realized. And the only way to do that was directly infiltrate the Empire.

Euphemia.

As the others began to leave headquarters, Kallen stayed back, seating herself in front of the computer. The screen was black, save for a single, blinking white line. Her eyes squinted; Ah!

"A password, hm?" She pursed her lips as she thought on it. Quickly, the answer came to her; she pulled up the sleeve of her uniform to reveal a simple set of characters on her wrist: K1290. Once she typed them in, access was granted. "Of course." She smirked; the tattoos had been worth it.

Base camps, strategies, Knightmare testing… the wide array of options reflected from her wide blue eyes as she studied each carefully. Manuscripts, records, aha! A smile split her lips once again, her cursory moving to one word: Empire.

"Bingo." She said, finding Euphemia's name in the list of royalties. Full name, birthday, disposition –

"Kouzuki."

With surprise, said girl gasped and turned to the door. In the frame, however, only stood Zero.

"Zero-sama," She breathed, letting herself smile with both relief and pleasant surprise.

In full costume as usual, his true identity was unknown to nearly all he associated with; Kallen, too, still knew not that she saw Zero more times a day than she thought.

They were alone. Maybe this was the time to tell her?

"Researching?" He asked, moving and looking over her shoulder.

"Yes sir," She replied, sheepish, "… Just familiarizing myself with the Empire."

He pondered her reply as he scanned Euphemia's file. The picture of representation was recently acquired; it was one of the many press-released shots of her school festival declaration: The reason for this whole meeting. The reason they were scrambling for a new tactic.

And yet, she still looked beautiful – expression torn with determination and passion, one hand fisted while the other stretched out to the side for emphasis.

Almost, _almost_, he forgot about the anger that had fueled him here in the first place.

"Sir…" Kallen began tentatively, "… I was thinking… why not directly threaten the Empire?"

Blinking, he crossed his arms. "An assassination would not be wise; they've dealt with Clovis and moved on with little sensitivity."

She scoffed, "But what about Euphemia? Her innocence makes her a prime target-"

"And a very desperate one at that." He finished, and she frowned lightly. Noticing this, Zero let out a breath and touched her shoulder gently. "… I admire your relentlessness; it has made you fearless… but Euphemia can be defeated – to a point where it would be as if she never existed – without killing her."

She turned to him, cheeks flushed at his contact. "… Without killing her?"

He smiled. "Her downfall will come with her still very much alive."

In admiration, she seemed to smile as well; she quickly trusted him with all of her heart. "Yes sir."

"Good." His fingers left her as he turned to leave.

As she watched him, she couldn't help but blurt, "Zero."

He looked back at her in silence.

"Why did you come here?"

Again, he smiled, though it was unseen by Kallen. "… I needed some time to think."

"Right…" She accepted this, though admittedly felt unsatisfied. It was obvious he was hiding things; as a leader, she realized, he was holding hundreds of burdens on his shoulders alone but didn't want to open up to anyone. Though this matter of handling stress was common, Kallen vowed to herself that she would change him.

She would affect him in a way he had never known.

Zero continued his walk, returning to the doorway. "… Goodnight, Miss. Kouzuki." He said as an afterthought, stepping through and leaving all together.

Something in her chest fluttered. "… Goodnight, Zero-sama." She said in a whisper.

_See you tomorrow, Miss. Stadtfeld._


	3. hope

"_We have done it! The great nation has fallen to its knees."_

_From a grand marble staircase, Zero's voice filled the open room, arms opening as he reached the last step. "It has adorned every paper; the Elevens have conquered." He smiled; it was evident in his tone as his expression was hidden away. "Darling, do join me in a toast to victory."_

_She smiled – grinned – as she stood from their dining room table, an icy blue gown dripping with pearls following her every movement. A gloved hand reached for him; their fingers laced one another as he pulled her in._

"_A toast?"_

"_Yes. The imported French we've aged will do fine."_

_Obediently the girl entered the kitchen, heels clicking against the floor and echoing throughout the house. Within moments she returned with a two glasses each filled with pale wine, handing him his while she held hers proudly._

"_To… you and I." He said with charm, "… And all we have done for the oppressed."_

_Again she smiled, "…. To us, yes." They clicked their glasses together and she began to drink, only able to take a small sip before he swept her into his arms._

"_My dearest Knight… my beautiful wife… let me kiss you."_

_How could she refuse him? With another smile she began to remove his helmet, only to find something shocking underneath._

"_RIVALZ!"_

"_Kallen…. Kallen…."_

"KALLEN KOUZUKI!"

Her eyes fluttered open to find the entire student council staring her down, each wearing an expression that ranged between anger and confusion. Some were just plain mortified that it took Milly's shrill scream to wake her up, others simply worried for Kallen's future health following this incident; Milly did, after all, know just how to make a point and make it clear.

Rubbing her eyes, the redhead grunted, "That was entirely unnecessary."

"Not when we need to plan the next school festival!" Milly said curtly, "I need _all_ of your help – even you, Sleeping Beauty."

Rivalz snickered; Suzaku shoved him to stop, expecting female violence.

"Another festival?" Lelouch asked with a slight groan, "… We just had one, Milly. A week ago." _One that no one will forget, as well._

"And the main event was a disaster." Shirley sighed. "No big pizza means no success, Lulu."

He scoffed and Suzaku smiled. Few things about Lelouch, he realized, had changed during their years apart. He was, after all, still grumpy, coy and brilliant, he still cared for Nunnally with an arm and a leg to sacrifice, he still managed to make poor unsuspecting women melt.

"Now that we're all _awake_, let's get to the principal of-"

The room's phone rang, and Milly growled in response. Of course, as this wouldn't stop the ringing, Shirley quickly lunged for the device, picking it up. "Ashford Academy Student Council – how can I help you?"

"… _Could I speak to Suzaku Kururugi please? It is urgent."_

The girl blinked, "… Uh, yes, hold on a moment." Looking towards the brunette she said, "… A girl is on the line for you, Suzaku… she says its urgent."

"Urgent?"

"Quite. She asked for you by name."

His brows knit together with uncertainty, taking the phone from Shirley. "… Hello?"

"_Suzaku, its Euphie… please meet me in the gardens."_

Something in him switched on; he stood tall and proud. "Right away, I'll be there as fast as I can." He couldn't hang the phone up fast enough, beginning to run out of the room.

"Suzaku!" Milly cried after him.

"Sorry Milly, it's apart of the job!" He said over his shoulder, scrambling from the door.

A silence fell over the room.

"You know, Shirley," Rivalz said after a few seconds, "You'd make a great secretary."

* * *

It was times like these when Suzaku enjoyed his endurance.

Once he had been a specially-selected member of the Britannian army, training schedules and exercise routines became crucial – when he was enlisted, he began as a thin, boyish kid with natural quickness and a strong upper-body, but with no knowledge of his potential. Quickly, he was thrown into martial arts, regular sparring, and a weapons education course that consumed three days of his week for several months. Coming out of this, he was fit, focused, and certainly a changed man… but surprisingly, Suzaku enjoyed the routines and continued to do them long after his requirements had been met.

This was, of course, why he could sprint to the Empire from school while barely breaking a sweat.

Turning a corner, he slid to a stop, reaching the tall gates of Euphemia's residence. As dusk was approaching, it was light enough to see what he was doing, but certainly dark enough to use Euphemia's favorite trick; _"Just climb up, Suzaku!" _She would giggle from the other side. With this thought in mind, he began to scale the fence, laughing to himself as he thought of her devious smirk; it was incredibly and completely inappropriate for a princess to entertain guests "after hours," and even more inappropriate for that guest to be a boy.

What the public did not know, however, was that these visits were usually for what others would call "boring" or "childish." As she was a princess, Euphemia knew little about the world outside of her castle, and often questioned Suzaku of his past. _"What was it like growing up Japanese?"_ came up the most, he gathered, while she always enjoyed when he spoke his language as well.

"_Teach me something in Japanese!" _She said one night.

"_Japanese? Well, um… it's been a while-"_

"Suzaku_, it hasn't been that long!" She laughed, shoving him, "Surely you must remember something!"_

_He seemed to smile, "… Well, princess… okay." Clearing his throat, the young knight said, "Ahnahtah wa haruh no eechee ban no sahkurah yoree utsukushee."_

_Her bubbly, happy laughter filled the space between them, "Ooh, what does that mean?"_

_To make sure she didn't suspect a thing, he raised his voice in a silly manner, "You are more beautiful than the first cherry blossom of spring!"_

_Once more, Euphemia could only laugh, shoving him again, but laughing, smiling…_

Lost in memories, he reached his destination and turned the corner. In the courtyard he found her in the distance, sitting on the edge of the fountain. Surrounding her were millions of pink flowers; the whole garden was created upon her inspiration, he was told, and of course pink was the chosen color to represent her.

The only sound around them was the slight bubble from the running water, his breathing, and a chorus of crickets that urged him to approach. With little light to present himself in, Suzaku began to cross the garden, his gait now slow and relaxed in seeing her. Though he still felt anxious to discover whatever she needed to talk to him about he was at least calmed by the fact that she wasn't in immediate danger.

She seemed to hear him, as she looked up from the water's reflection and grinned. "Suzaku, you came!"

"Of course I did." He smiled too, "Why did you think I wouldn't?"

"Well, you were in school…. and I didn't want to disturb you, but I really need to talk to someone who won't tell me I'm wrong."

He took a seat beside her now, brows creased with worry. "…Euphie, what do you mean?"

She folded her hands in her lap, looking over at him. Her eyes pooled with sadness, he noticed; they lacked the spirit and light he remembered and cherished, "… I'm worried to announce my decision. Is it selfish of me to want to give this life away?"

"Sel… ah, Euphemia, no!" He said adamantly, touching her shoulder, "Its not like you don't appreciate… all of this," His gaze wandered for a moment as he mentioned this, "… Your reasoning is for change - to move forward. Who would dare tell you no?"

"Suzaku, the Empire doesn't _want_ change; you know that."

"Then maybe its time _you_ change that!" He moved from her shoulder, now, taking her hands in his own, "… Listen to me. What you're doing is going to save thousands – _millions_ – of people. And you can't let anyone stop you. To achieve change is going against the everyday, and that takes courage… courage that I know you have, Euphie."

She blinked up at him, then finally squeezed his hands and laced their fingers together. "… Why do you believe in me?"

"Because there is something to believe in." He was growing rosy in the face, looking down at their grip, "… You mean everything you say to these people; everything you want to do is honest and true."

A comfortable quiet settled as she turned her head to the sky. The stars glittered like crushed diamonds above them; a small burst of color shot through galaxies between them.

"... Did you wish on stars as a child, Suzaku?" She whispered then, turning back to him, "… Make a wish."

He looked to the sky, then back at their hands, thinking about it. It was a moment before he simply smiled, "… I don't need to, Euphie."

_All I could ever ask for is with me already._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the positive reviews; keep em coming! I realized I didn't say anything about the last update… so let's do that, hm?

Did you see that I focused on some Lelouch/CC time as well as Lelouch/Euphemia (hinted by Lulu himself) and Lelouch/Kallen? If you're thinking, "Damn, Meaghan, way to make Lelouch the pimpmaster he IS!" Then… uh, thanks? I didn't intend to, I swear; in fact, I can back up why I've done it for those who want to spork me. In this I really want to play up a lot of the ships that are seen both in the show and that we as fans have created ourselves (which means, yes, there will probably be some hinted Lelouch/Suzaku sometime… BUT BELIEVE ME. Nothing blatant), as it makes it seem a little more real to me, personally, to give everyone a taste of what they like. Not to mention that since most of these complex relationships occur in the series, its more true to the material! So a win-win, right?

As for this chapter… more of Kallen's fantasies, haha. I really love the scene in R1 when they're complimenting Lelouch's ability to catch up on sleep during class, and realized that the same amount of tiredness affects Kallen, as well. Since her life is so consumed by the Black Knights, I figured it may enter her dreams… who could have expected THAT dream however?

Not much to say about the second part. It's just Suzaku and Euphie being cute. As usual.

Keep on reading and rating – I love to hear what you guys think!


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